


sir, you’re buying too many flowers

by asakuraa1



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, F/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pining, Slow Burn, first hokuan fic with multiple chapters let’s go baby
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-01
Updated: 2020-03-20
Packaged: 2020-04-05 19:16:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 16,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19046686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asakuraa1/pseuds/asakuraa1
Summary: A story about a florist who’s curious about the man who visits her shop every week and an actor who’s head over heels for the florist down the street.





	1. a strange stranger

**Author's Note:**

> oh gosh i’m writing a multiple chapter fic  
> this is kinda exciting bc i didn’t have time during the school but now it’s summer! i’m free!!!!  
> so yeah hokuan flower shop au...it’s a good concept and im willing to down with it  
> enjoy and have a wonderful day!

For the past few weeks, Anzu has been seeing a strange sight at her store

At her flower shop, she sees a young man who seems to about her age. The young man doesn’t look suspicious at all. He seems like a very serious person from what Anzu sees.

He has black hair that resembles a raven’s feathers and eyes so blue that they could rival sapphires. His facial expression is never changing and is always stoic.

Despite his serious appearance, it’s his actions that she finds suspicious. She doesn’t think that he’s a bad person. She finds it nice to see that people have an interest in flowers, especially people around her age. It means that business is doing well.

To put it in simple words, Anzu is curious.

Curious about that young man.

Curious about the intention behind his actions.

Curious about the reason why he buys flowers every single time he visits the shop.

Every single time.

No matter what.

It seems that today he’s back looking at the flower displays again. Anzu stands behind the counter, tending to the flowers on the shelves behind her. She takes occasional glances at him, trying to be sneaky about it so he won’t notice.

The young man doesn’t seem to be looking for anything in particular. He’s just browsing leisurely. Anzu notices that the flowers he looks at the most are roses and hydrangeas.

At least he has good taste in flowers.

“Excuse me? I’d like a bouquet of these.” Anzu abandons her thoughts and walks over to the young man. He points at the display of flowers that are not just one but multiple small individual flowers.

Hydrangeas.

Anzu gathers a reasonable amount of them and forms them into a bouquet. The young man watches her silently. It’s unsettling how quiet it is.

“I think you made a nice choice.” Anzu says striking up conversation, attempting to get rid of the silence.

“Did I? I just chose them at random.” He responds.

“I think hydrangeas are very nice.” Anzu explains. “Purple ones mean that you want to have a better understanding of someone.”

“You’d be correct.” He says. “You are a florist, after all. It’s natural that you’d be knowledgeable about things like this.”

Anzu laughs and hands him his bouquet. He takes it and gives her a small smile.

“You seem to know quite a bit too. Maybe even more than I do.” Anzu jokes. “You should have my job instead.”

“No thanks. I’m happy with my current job.” He says. Anzu can’t tell if he’s joking or being serious but she laughs anyway.

Anzu has held multiple conversations with this young man but most of them have been exchanges of hellos, goodbyes, or ‘have a nice day’ when he finishes paying. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to talk to him a bit more.

“You know,” Anzu begins. “You’ve been visiting the store lately. Do you enjoy the flowers here that much?”

The young man’s eyes widen and his demeanor becomes skittish.

“You’ve noticed?” He says.

“Of course I noticed. You’ve been coming in for the past few weeks, haven’t you?” She says. “Who wouldn’t notice that?”

“I didn’t mean to be a nuisance. I’ll stop if I’m bothering y-”

“You’re not a nuisance!” Anzu exclaims. “I think it’s great that you have in interest in flowers!”

The young man is taken aback by her sudden outburst. Anzu realizes her volume level is a bit too loud and tones it down.

“Not many people around my age are interested in flowers so I think it’s nice to finally see someone who is.” Anzu says. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you or anything. I hope you didn’t take my words in the wrong way.”

She bows her head slightly, signaling an apology. The young man still says nothing but is flustered by her actions.

“It’s fine, you don’t have to apologize.” He says. Anzu raises her head and looks at him with an apologetic expression. “It should be me who’s sorry. I keep coming to your store without a second thought.”

“I don’t mind.” She says. “In fact, I kinda enjoy it.”

“You enjoy it? Wouldn’t most people be suspicious about it?”

“I think that your love of flowers is great. I’m always happy to have more people in my store. I like getting to know my customers. Especially those who come by every week.” Anzu teases. The young man’s cheeks become a light shade of pink and she laughs quietly so he wouldn’t hear her.

“I-Is that so?” He stutters and a smile blossoms on Anzu’s face. He takes out his wallet and exchanges his money with the bouquet.

“Thank you for your patronage, sir.” Anzu jokes again. This time, the young man understands her joke and chuckles quietly.

“It’s Hokuto. Hidaka Hokuto.” He says, extending his hand. “I suppose it would be easier to know my name if I keep coming here all the time.”

“I suppose it will be.” Anzu takes his hand without hesitation and shakes it. “I’ll see you in a week, Hidaka Hokuto.”

“Likewise.”

For the first time in the history of him visiting, Anzu sees him smile. As said before, he seems like a very serious person but when he shows this type of face, all assumptions disappear.

Before Hokuto leaves, he and Anzu exchange one last glance and a smile. She waves at him and he does the same. When he exits, Anzu returns to the hydrangea displays. She looks at the section where she took the flowers from and arranges them so there is no longer an empty space. She walks around the shop a bit more to check if any other displays have empty spaces.

His name remains on the tip of her tongue and when she returns to the counter, she says it once more.

“Hidaka Hokuto.”

What a strange person she’s met today.

She wouldn’t mind talking to him a bit more.

* * *

 

Hokuto doesn’t notice it but as he’s walking down the street, he’s walking faster than usual. His ears are feeling slightly warm too and that goes the same for his face.

When he gets to his apartment, he notices that three other people aren’t here as they usually would be. It’s unusual but his brain doesn’t have time to think about it.

He walks quickly to his room with the bouquet still in his hand. As soon as he enters, he slides down onto the floor and the bouquet sits in his lap.

_“I’ll see you next week, Hidaka Hokuto.”_

His name.

She said his name.

She knows who he is now.

The thought of that brings a small smile to Hokuto’s face. He looks down at the bouquet of hydrangeas on his lap.

_“Purple ones mean you want to have a better understanding of someone.”_

He does have one person in particular who he wants to understand better.

It’s obviously her.

He groans and brings his knees up, burying his face into the bouquet.

After today’s visit to the flower shop, he’s reminded of one thing he knows too well.

He’s absolutely smitten with the owner of the shop.


	2. the things that time can do

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time moves at an odd pace.  
> Time can only go forward. It never stops or goes back.  
> Right now, it feels as time has stopped for Hokuto.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello! summer has officially started for me so expect more content in the future!  
> with all being said, have a wonderful day!

“Hokuto, did you buy flowers again?”

“Eh? Didn’t you buy some last week?”

“What kind are they this time, Hidaka-kun?”

Mao, Subaru, and Makoto fire questions at their friend, who is sitting on their couch and reading a script. He doesn’t make eye contact with any of them, keeping focus on his script.

“I did buy flowers again and last week, thank you for asking.” Hokuto says sarcastically. “And they’re hydrangeas this time, Yuuki.”

The bouquet that Hokuto bought yesterday had been transferred to a glass vase which sits on top of their kitchen counter.

“I boug-”

“Hold on, let me guess.” Mao interrupts. “You bought them on a whim? Just like all those other times?”

“W-What are you trying to imply, Isara?” Hokuto stutters at the beginning of his sentence but manages to keep his composure.

“Hokuto, it’s not that hard to figure out.”

“You’re not exactly subtle, Hidaka-kun.” Makoto adds. “We all know you don’t go for the flowers.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“The more you deny it, the more obvious it is.” Subaru sings. “Hokke has a crush on the florist.”

“Don’t call it a crush. It sounds childish.” He says.

“But you didn’t deny that you had one.” Subaru points out with a smirk on his face. Hokuto’s face, on the other hand, is wearing a frown. He gets up from the couch, throwing his script where he was sitting and heads towards the door.

“I’m leaving.”

“Going to go see your florist?” Makoto asks.

“She’s not my florist! Don’t say unnecessary things!” Hokuto yells and walks out the door.

“At least tell us her name!” Subaru yells as Hokuto closes the door. He walks down a flight of stairs that leads to outside, irritated by the conversation he just had. When he gets outside, he begins to realize something.

_“At least tell us her name!”_

Her name.

What was her name again?

As Hokuto walks down the street, he tries to remember bits and pieces of their conversation yesterday to see if she dropped hints of her name.

All he could remember was that he told her his name and nothing else. Hokuto groans and face palms.

He forgot to ask for her name.

* * *

 

Hokuto feels like an idiot.

Not that he is one or at least he thinks so.

But forgetting the most important thing to ask someone when you first meet them was idiotic of him.

He sighs and looks at his surroundings. The sound of children playing with their friends and birds chirping can be heard through the park. Hokuto remembers when he was at that age. He didn’t have a care in the world when he was young. But then he grew up and everything went downhill.

Youth isn’t something that he’d want forever. He prefers time moving forward instead of staying still or backwards. It’s how the world intended it to be.

Another sigh escapes from his lips. He remembers a saying his grandma told him long ago.

“They say if you sigh too much, happiness escapes.”

Hokuto turns quickly, only to see a familiar face with a smile on her face.

It’s the florist.

“That’s what one of my customers told me.” She says.

Hokuto coughs awkwardly, clearing his throat before speaking.

“I’ve never seen you outside of your shop before.” He says. “Is it your day off?”

“Ah...I was kinda forced to come out here.” She says. She moves up to Hokuto’s right side and walks next to him. They continue to walk on through the park.

“Forced?” He gives her a confused look.

“My friend said that I was always working and never took breaks so he forced me to take one.” She laughs. “It’s silly, isn’t it?”

“I don’t think so.” Hokuto says. “I think it’s nice to be invested into something. For you, it’s taking care of your flowers.”

The florist looks at him with a surprised look and a timid smile grows across her face.

“Thank you. It’s nice to hear something like that.” Hokuto smiles back at her and a wave of silence washes over them. It wasn’t like the silence at the shop yesterday. Today’s silence was much more pleasant and calming.

“Is there something that you’re invested in?” She asks.

“Probably theatre or acting in general.” He says immediately. “It’s interesting how many characters I’m able to play and adapt their way of thinking.”

The florist hums in response to his answer.

“Do you mind telling me more? It seems interesting.” She looks at him with hope in her eyes. Hokuto sees the look in her eyes and smiles at her.

“I don’t mind at all.”

* * *

 

Time moves at an odd pace.

Time can only go forward. It never stops or goes back.

Right now, it feels as though time has stopped for Hokuto.

He’s only held two proper conversations with her but somehow talking to her makes it seem like time isn’t an issue.

Seconds turn into minutes, minutes turn into hours, and hours can turn into moments.

Time stopped for him so that can enjoy this moment.

The flow of their conversation is natural. So natural as if they’ve known each other for so long. At some point, they stopped walking and sat on a bench to continue their conversation.

Hokuto has never been good at talking but when it’s a conversation with her, somehow all his words connect well. The florist listens to his words with great intention and adds to the conversation as well.

As much as he liked the moment, time began to move once again when she got a phone call. She looks at Hokuto apologetically for cutting their conversation short but he gives her a forgiving look in return. She answers it, mumbling words that Hokuto can’t hear. When she’s done, she slips her phone into her pocket and gets up from the bench.

“I have to go. My friend says he’s getting tired of all the flowers.” She laughs and begins to walk away. “It was nice seeing you again, Hokuto.”

The sound of his name makes the tip of ears go red and he remembers something regarding names.

“I forgot to ask,” He says. “What’s your name?”

“My name?” She questions.

“I gave you mine but you never told me yours.” He explains.

“Ah, I must’ve forgotten to tell you.” She says. “It’s Anzu.”

Anzu. What a fitting name for a person like her.

“Then I’ll see you next time, Anzu.” Hokuto says with a warm smile on his face. Anzu returns his smile back with one of her own and walks away.

As soon as she’s out of sight, Hokuto gets up from the bench and begins to walk back to his apartment.

Her name remains on the tip of his tongue and as he’s walking, he says it once more.

“Anzu.”

He really likes talking to her.

He also really likes her.

Maybe he likes her a bit too much for his own good.


	3. beware of local actors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This shop is her pride and joy.  
> Her place of belonging.  
> No other place makes her feel safer than the one she is in right now.  
> She couldn’t imagine losing it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow! it’s been a month! sorry about that i’ve been having some writers block recently but today seemed like a good day to break out of it so here we are! i think i’ll continue at this pace for awhile with updates.  
> besides that enjoy and have a wonderful day!

Anzu’s shop attracts a bunch of weirdos.

Not to say that’s a bad thing but for some reason, her customers are...very unique people.

The other day, she had a pair of brothers come into her shop. The younger one, who looked about to be her age, was fed up with his older sibling. In the end, they did buy a pot of flowers after some major bickering. They bought a pot of amaryllis.

There was another odd duo of which one of them kept asking her if he was able to consume any of her flowers. Thankfully, his friend who was with him at the time stopped him from doing so. They bought a pot of gladiolus.

Today, Anzu hasn’t had any weird customers. Aside from the regular old ladies and children that come into her shop, nothing has been strange at all. She sits at the counter, fiddling with a bouquet she made on a whim earlier.

The sound of the bell that is on top of the door rings and Anzu turns to greet the incoming customer.

“Oh welco-” When she sees who it is, she stops her greeting and her face falls flat. “Natsume.”

“Rude, aren’t you going to treat me like the rest of your customers?” He gives her a sly smile.

“You’re not even a customer. You work here.” Anzu retorts. Natsume walks behind the counter and grabs an apron from underneath it. “You don’t have a shift today. What are you doing here?”

“What’s wrong with wanting to make some extra money or kill time? You’re too suspicious of me, Little Kitten.”

Anzu rolls her eyes at the sound of her unique nickname. He’s called her that ever since they’ve met.

“Even if you wanted to work, there’s not much you can do.” Anzu says, coming out from behind the counter.

“Calling me useless? That’s cold even for you.” Natsume jokes.

“You know that’s not what I meant!” She frowns. He chuckles in response to her reaction. Anzu sighs and walks over to the flower displays. Her fingers graze the petals and leaves of the flowers. Suddenly, she remembers something.

“There’s something that I need to get from upstairs. Do you mind managing the counter for a bit?” Anzu asks. Natsume makes a circle with his thumb and pointer finger, saying that he’s got it handled.

Not many people know the secrets to Anzu’s shop. At first glance, most people would think that the shop is only one level but in reality, it’s two levels. Further in the back of the shop is an attic door that leads upstairs. It’s mainly used for storage but Anzu uses it as a break room too. Anzu grabs a box from the counter and walks to the back of the shop. When she arrives, she sets the box down on the floor and steps on it. She reaches for the attic door and opens it, letting the ladder steps hit the floor. Anzu climbs up them and enters into the attic.

As most attics go, this one is fairly well kept. There may be things that are misplaced here and there but everything is where it needs to be. What Anzu is specifically looking for are packets of sunflower seeds. She was considering putting a flower display outside of her shop.

Sunflowers are hard to grow but it was the appropriate flower for the season. They resembled the sun afterall, hence their name.

Anzu scourges through boxes of various seeds. Maybe she could ask Natsume to organize these for her. She laughs at the thought. He’d probably organize them in a way other than color or alphabetical.

“Finally…” Anzu mumbles. After going through one box, she found the packet of seeds at the very bottom. Anzu slips the packet into her pocket and closes up the box.

She looks around the attic. Despite all these boxes and pots, it seems a bit empty. The only light sources are a singular lightbulb and a small window that faces the front of the shop. It’s quiet but there are occasional sounds of birds and people from outside. Anzu leans back into the wall and takes it all in.

The dust from the boxes flies into the window’s rays of light and Anzu can see the particles clearly. She closes her eyes and relaxes even further. It’s strange, she thinks.

She can’t relax this much at home. At home, she’s always thinking about trivial things. She wonders if anyone will break into the shop at night and steal money from the cash register. She wonders if anyone would ruin all the flowers she’s worked hard to grow. Natsume tells her that’s an irrational fear but she can’t help it. Maybe she could create a makeshift bed here and stay overnight at the shop. As long as Natsume doesn’t find out about it, it’ll be perfect.

This shop is her pride and joy. Her place of belonging. No other place makes her feel safer than the one she is in right now. She couldn’t imagine losing it.

As much as she wants time to stop right now, reality somehow makes its way back into her life. She hears shrieks coming from downstairs and is alarmed immediately. She doesn’t have time to close up the attic stairs and rushes toward the chaos.

“What the hell is happening?” She yells, attracting the attention of the people in the store. She lays eyes on a man with unnaturally long white hair. He could almost be mistaken for a woman if he was looked at from behind. Said white haired man was frozen in a pose where he looks like he’s chasing someone and he was. There was a young man who had light brown hair that almost resembles sand. He had a fearful look on his face and it didn’t get any better when Anzu came down.

“I want an explanation to what are you doing running around in my shop.” She says sternly. “Right now.”

The man with long white hair opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by a recognizable voice.

“I think I’m the one responsible for this explanation.” Anzu turns to the source of the voice and her eyes widen. Standing in front of her was Hidaka Hokuto, wearing an ashamed expression.

“So you’re responsible for this?” Anzu asks, trying to keep a serious tone. Hokuto nods slowly and Anzu crosses her arms. Part of her doesn’t want to scold him but she knows that she has to. No, she can’t be soft on him just because they’ve only talked for a bit. She has to handle this like a professional.

“Listen, if you don’t m-”

“Now just a minute, Hokuto-kun!” The man with the white hair speaks up, cutting off her sentence. Anzu turns to him and he approaches her. She’s a bit intimidated by his height but tries to keep a strong front.

“Ma’am, do not scold Hokuto-kun for this incident but instead scold me!” He gestures to himself dramatically. The young man who he was chasing face palms and beside Anzu, Hokuto curses under his breath.

 _“Oh god, there’s another weirdo in my shop.”_ Anzu thinks.

“Yes! Do not scold Hokuto-kun but me, Hibiki Wataru! He’s not the one to blame for this scuffle. Isn’t that right, Tomoya-kun?” He turns to the young man and he nods furiously.

“Y-Yes! Please don’t scold, Hokuto-senpai. It’s our fault anyway!” Tomoya exclaims. Anzu looks back at Hokuto who has an indescribable facial expression. Anzu sighs and uncrosses her arms.

“Can you explain to me how this happened first? I don’t want to make a judgement until I have some background.”

* * *

 

Apparently, it was indeed Wataru and Tomoya’s fault. The cause of the problem wasn’t as convoluted as Anzu assumed it was going to be.

All three of them were on break from their jobs. They entered the shop and browsed around. Wataru decided that the idea of playing a prank on Tomoya was fabulous and went through with it. The prank ended up being a success and that’s how the shriek that Anzu heard from up in the attic came to be. Now, here they are now in the present.

“I won’t ban you from my shop.” Anzu says. “But I will give you a punishment for disturbing my shop.”

“That’s fair.” Tomoya says. Wataru nods in agreement. Anzu smiles and puts her hands into the pockets of her apron.

“Now, your punishment is…” Anzu draws out the sentence for dramatic effect. Tomoya’s facial expression is one that hopes the punishment isn’t anything bad while Wataru’s was one that screams ‘I can handle it’. Anzu takes her hands out from her pockets and presents them with the sunflower seeds from before. “Helping me plant these sunflowers seeds.”

The two of them look at the packets confusingly and take them cautiously. She guides them to the shop’s entrance. Anzu smiles and claps her hands together.

“Now, wait here. I’ll go grab some tools for you!” Anzu rushes back into the shop and heads behind the counter. “There’s pots out there with soil already!”

“I thought you were going to give them a more severe punishment.” Hokuto says.

“Even if I did, I don’t know what I’d make them do.” Anzu laughs. She searches for shovels and gloves. Once she finds them, she sets them on the counter. Hokuto picks them up and begins to walk outside.

“Ah, you don’t have to do that. I can take care of it myself.” She insists, coming out from behind the counter.

“It’s fine. It’s just a small thing.” Before Anzu can answer, Hokuto is already out the door. Through the window, she watches him hand the tools to Tomoya and Wataru. When Hokuto comes back inside, he notices the expression on Anzu’s face.

“Are you...angry?” Hokuto asks.

“N-No.” Anzu stutters, worried about the look on her face.

“Then why do you look so upset?” Hokuto walks over to her. “If I did something to upset you then I’d like you to tell me.”

“You didn’t make me upset.” She sighs. “It’s silly but I’m just...surprised.”

“Surprised?”

Anzu brings her hands together and fiddles with her thumbs.

“I...I usually take care of things myself around here. Small things like what you just did now or big things like organizing all these displays by myself.” She gestures to the flower displays.

“I thought you had your friend to help you with that?” Hokuto asks. “The one with red hair.”

“I do but he mostly manages money and helps with customers. I mostly do the hard labor around here. It’s hard but it’s what I love doing.” Anzu smiles and looks around the shop fondly. “I like seeing my customers going home satisfied with the flowers I’ve grown. If it makes them happy then I’ll work hard for them. I love it here. After all, this shop is my pride and joy.”

Hokuto looks at her, astonished by her words. Anzu realizes she’s been rambling to him for a bit too long. She laughs and brings her hand to her neck.

“Sorry about that. I overshared a bit, didn’t I?” Anzu laughs.

“No, I think you’re amazing.” He says.

“Me? Amazing?” Nobody has ever called her that before. It was either hard-working or ambitious but never a word like amazing. It was something new but it didn’t feel bad.

“You’re devoted to your work and that’s what makes you amazing. You want each of your customers to go home satisfied and you just keep working to make that happen. So in conclusion, you’re amazing.”

Somewhere in her heart, it tells her that Hokuto is a kind person. He understands. Anzu smiles at him softly and walks over to the flower displays. She looks at the flowers carefully as if she’s making a decision and takes some out of the display. She walks quickly over to Hokuto.

“Here.” She hands them to him. “They’re campanulas. They mean gratitude. Think of it as a thank you for listening to me.”

“T-Thank you. How much are they?” He asks, prepared to take out his wallet.

“They’re on the house, don’t worry about it.” She says. “Think of it as your weekly purchase.”

Hokuto’s cheeks turn a faint red and he slips the flower into his jacket pocket. He opens his mouth to speak but hears tapping on the glass. They both turn and see Tomoya waving.

“We’re done planting. Should we water them?” Tomoya says, voice slightly muffled by the glass.

“I’ll bring a watering can out!” Anzu yells. Tomoya gives her a thumbs-up and returns to where Wataru is. Anzu can’t make out what they’re saying but it seems like they’re having a pleasant conversation. Anzu goes to the counter and grabs two watering cans. She hands the other one to Hokuto who takes it without questioning.

“There’s a spout outside in the front. Let’s go.” She says, walking outside. Hokuto nods and follows her out.

When they finished watering the sunflower pots, the three of them had to return to their workplace. Anzu waved to them as they walked away from her shop. She came back inside and took in a deep breath. She feels a bit lax today. Perhaps she can take it easy for the rest of the day.

“You handled that well, Little Kitten.” Anzu jumps and regains her focus. She looks at the counter where Natsume stands.

“Where were you the whole time? You didn’t even help out.” Anzu says.

“I slipped out when you came down from the attic. When you were far away enough, I took cover up there.” He says. “You’re quite a force to be reckoned with when you’re angry.”

“I don’t think I’m that bad…” Anzu mumbles.

“You would think otherwise.” Natsume fiddles with an object in his hand.

“What’s that?” She asks, going behind the counter and placing back the tools where they were before.

“A flower petal that fell onto the ground.”

“What kind?” Anzu asks, curious about which flower it belongs to. Natsume inspects it closely and smirks.

“A daffodil.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i forgot to mention, this takes place in the season of summer!


	4. leTS geT aLonG

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is funny.  
> This is really funny.  
> It’s almost hilarious even.  
> If Natsume didn’t know how to hold a poker face, he’d burst out laughing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello! this is a rewrite of chapter 4 that took way to long to finish  
> i'm more satisfied with this version than i am with the previous one  
> also school is starting back up so i'll be on hiatus for awhile  
> have a wonderful day!

Natsume considers himself to be one of Anzu’s closest friends. Would he say that he’s her best friend? 

Definitely not.

There’s someone else who holds that position but without a doubt, he and Anzu are very close.

Their relationship dynamic is simple to understand if you’ve seen them together. Most people would assume that they don’t along due to the many sarcastic comments they exchange. But in reality, they get along unusually well.

Though he won’t say it, he treasures his friendship with Anzu. She’s one of the few people he enjoys talking to.

“Natsume!”

Speaking of people, he hears certain someone right now. He turns to the source and sees an energetic individual running towards him. A smile on his face stretches from ear to ear and by looks alone, he could call him the embodiment of the sun. It irritates him just a bit.

“Don’t go yelling my name in public places, Baru-kUN.” He says. “It’s embarrassiNG.”

“Ah, sorry about that! I just got really excited when I saw you.” Subaru laughs without a care.

“Excited or not, you shouldn’t yell in on the streeTS.” He says. Subaru laughs once again, prompting a sigh from Natsume.

Akehoshi Subaru. According to Subaru, he considers them as friends but Natsume really doesn’t care whether their relationship has a label or not.

“That’s a lot of things you’re carrying. Is that all for you?” Subaru points at his grocery bags. They’re full of various food items.

“Of course nOT. It’s for a frieND.” Natsume says.

“Eh? Natsume has friends other than me?”

“How rude, Baru-kun. Even someone like me has frienDS.”

“I didn’t mean it like that!” Natsume chuckles at Subaru’s reaction.

Conversations with Subaru are amusing. They talk about trivial things and their daily lives. Since they don’t meet often, they have plenty to talk about.

“Hey, what kind of person is your friend?” Subaru asks.

“That’s something you don’t need to know, do yOU?” Natsume says, giving him a sharp look.

“Don’t be so mean, Natsume! I’m just curious!” Subaru whines.

“If you’re so curious then why don’t you just experience it yourseLF?” He says. “I’m going to visit her right nOW.”

Subaru’s eyes light up and his smile grows wider. He reminds Natsume of a dog. Though Natsume never confirmed that he can come along, Subaru interprets his words as an invitation to come along anyway. He walks along Natsume’s side and hums happily.

“Why are you so hapPY? We’re just visitiNG.” Natsume remarks.

“I know but I’m excited! I get to meet Natsume’s friend! I wonder if she’ll be friends with me too?”

She’ll find him amusing, Natsume thinks. Subaru isn’t a bad person to make friends with so Natsume hopes Anzu will take a liking to him. She could afford to reach out to people more often.

“What is she going to make with all that food?” Subaru asks, peering into the grocery bag.

“Who knoWS? Probably a stew or something along those linES.” Natsume says.

“Speaking of stew, Sari made some last night!”

Sometimes Subaru will ramble about his friends and what they do. There’s three friends he talks about often. Natsume doesn’t know their real names but he knows them by nicknames of Ukki, Sari, and Hokke. Natsume also doesn’t know what they look like but from Subaru’s ramblings, they seem interesting.

“By the way,” Subaru says. “I don’t see any apartments around here? Aren’t we going to visit your friend’s house?”

“Who said anything about visiting her hoME?” He responds.

Well, he supposes the shop is technically her home at this point. Her apartment is home in name only. She’ll sleep and eat there but to her, it doesn’t feel like a home.

“If we’re not visiting her house then where are we going?” Subaru asks.

“We’re going to her workplaCE.” Natsume replies.

Subaru’s confusion disappears and his demeanor is full of excitement. Natsume has no idea what or why he’s so cheerful.

“Why are you so happy all of a sudden, Baru-kUN? Like I said before, we’re just visitiNG.” He comments on Subaru’s behavior.

“I’m just happy that I get to learn more about Natsume’s friend.” Subaru hums.

“Ask her as many questions as you waNT. I’m sure she’ll be happy to answER.”

“Then I’ll ask her a bunch!”

Natsume laughs quietly and smiles slightly. Conversations with Subaru are neither boring or dull. He always has some sort of story to tell. They don’t see each other often so he’s got plenty to say.

They only talk when Subaru sees him. Whether it’d be on the streets or at a grocery store, Subaru will run towards him no matter what.

“By the way, where does she work?” Subaru asks.

“The same place I woRK.” Natsume replies.

“So where do you work?”

“You’re asking many questions, Baru-kUN.”

“But you said that I can ask as many as I want.” Subaru whines, referencing to Natsume’s previous words.

“I said you can ask her as many questions as you waNT. I never said you could ask ME.”

“Eh? I wanna learn about you too, Natsume! You barely talk about yourself!”

He’s not wrong. Everytime they talk, it’s mostly Subaru doing all the talking. Natsume never shares anything about himself. He puts a distance between them. Subaru notices yet does nothing about it. That’s the type of relationship they have.

As Subaru’s whining and Natsume’s snide remarks continue, they arrive at the shop. The exterior is neat and clean as always. He sees that the sunflower seeds Anzu planted with those three strangers last week have started to sprout. Though they are small, they’re growing healthily.

“You work at a flower shop, huh?” Subaru says.

“That’s rigHT.” Natsume says. “Now you know where I woRK. SatisfiED?”

“It’s just surprising. I never thought you’d work at a place like this.”

“Where did you think I workED?”

“Somewhere more shady.”

Natsume elbows Subaru’s arm. Subaru winces and rubs the spot that was elbowed.

“Let’s go IN. You’re practically dying to meet hER.”

Natsume opens the door and Subaru follows behind him. The bell on the door rings soundly and he sees his boss behind the counter, arranging empty pots.

“Oh welcome-” Anzu turns to the door with her usual customer greeting. Her face falls flat when she realizes it’s just Natsume.

“Did you miss ME?”

“I saw you yesterday.”

“Thanks, I missed you tOO.”

“You know at this point, most people would fire you for being so unbearable.” Anzu retorts.

“But you haven’t fired me yET. Sounds like you're one of the few people who don’t find me unbearabLE.” Natsume walks over to the counter and sets the bag of groceries on it. “For yOU.”

“If I fired you then I’d be in trouble.” Anzu says, taking the groceries and putting under the counter. “Also, I don’t think any other place would hire you.”

Natsume chuckles and looks around him to see if Subaru is still here. He’s wandering around the shop, admiring all the flowers.

“Who’s that?” Anzu whispers to him. “Your friend? I didn’t know you had friends other than me.”

“Why does everyone say thAT?” Natsume sighs. “Well, I suppose we’re frienDS.”

“You suppose?”

Both of them watch Subaru look around the shop in awe. It was like observing a new specimen of life.

When Subaru’s eyes set onto the pair, his face lights up immediately and he quickly goes over to the counter.

“Are you Natsume’s friend?” He asks excitedly.

“I’m his friend and boss.” Anzu says proudly.

“I’m Akehoshi Subaru! I’m also Natsume’s friend but not his boss.” He says cheerfully. “What’s your name?”

“I’m Anzu.” She extends her hand out for a handshake and Subaru shakes it enthusiastically.

From Natsume’s view, they seem to be getting along. It seems like it was a good decision to bring him along. His natural presence is a positive influence.

The bell on the door rings again and Anzu turns to the door, ready to greet the customer. Anzu’s face lights up when she sees who it is.

“Welcome back!”

Natsume widens his eyes at her unusual greeting. She usually says welcome instead of welcome back when she greets a customer. He turns his gaze to the door and sees a young man with black hair. Natsume recognizes him from last week. He was the one who tried to take blame for his friend’s commotion. If Natsume remembers correctly, his name is Hokuto.

“Eh? Hokke!? What are you doing here?” Subaru exclaims in shock. His voice echoes throughout the store. Hokuto’s face turns pale as soon as he sees Subaru.

“A-Akehoshi? Why are you here?” He asks.

“Natsume brought me here.” He points over to Natsume, who is casually leaning on the counter. “More importantly, why are you here? I thought you were going to be home all day?”

“Oh? Do you two know each other?” Anzu asks.

“I’ve never seen him in my life.” Hokuto quickly says.

“So cold, Hokke! Especially when we live together!” Subaru says.

The two of them bicker as Anzu and Natsume sit on the sides idly, watching them. Anzu laughs at them quietly. Hokuto looks over at her and covers Subaru’s mouth to stop their bickering.

“Sorry about that. I’m causing trouble in your shop again.” Hokuto apologizes.

“Don’t worry about it.” She says. “I’ll give you a pass this time since you helped me out last week.”

Hokuto lets out a sigh of relief and removes his hand off of Subaru’s mouth. Subaru bounces right back to the counter and lays his arms on the counter.

“Hey Anzu, do you grow all these flowers by yourself?” Subaru asks.

“Akehoshi, don’t bother her. She’s working.” Hokuto scolds.

“It’s fine. Talking to customers is part of the job.” Anzu says. “I don’t grow all of them but I grow some of them.”

“What’s your favorite color?”

“Probably pink?”

“When’s your birthday?”

“October 8th.”

“You’re older than me?” Hokuto exclaims. “I assumed you were younger than me.”

“When’s your birthday then?” Anzu asks.

“December 17th.” He responds.

“I’ll send you a bouquet as a present then.” She says.

Subaru continues asks her questions one by one and Anzu answers them with delight. Natsume goes behind the counter and grabs an apron from underneath. Once he’s done tying on his apron, he observes what’s in front of him.

It’s...interesting.

While Subaru and Anzu are talking, Hokuto is over at the flower displays. While it appears that he’s looking at the displays, he’s actually taking small glances at the two of them. The displays are just a foil for him.

His face wears a look of irritation. When Subaru asks a question, his face scrunches up just a little. If a question Subaru asks makes Anzu laugh a little, then his face loosens up. Despite his facial expression, it looks like he’s listening closely. When Anzu told him that she’ll send him a bouquet on his birthday, Natsume swore he saw him smile.

Last week when Natsume finally came down from the attic to escape Anzu’s anger, he saw her outside with Hokuto and his friends outside the shop. It looked like she calmed down enough to forgive them. Natsume could see them clearly outside the window. Another thing he could see clearly was how Hokuto’s eyes were on her the whole time. Whether she was giving advice about the plant or teaching them on how to properly care for the plant, he never took his eyes off of her once.

Oh.

So that’s how it is.

He sees it now.

Despite being a perceptive person, he didn’t see it quickly enough.

Now this is definitely interesting.

A smirk comes across Natsume’s face and an idea sprouts into his brain.

“Hey, Little KittEN.”

All three of them turn to Natsume. The two who are unfamiliar with the nickname he gives her look at him with confusion. Anzu isn’t affected by it anymore. It became normal for her.

“Didn’t you say that there were some boxes upstairs that needed to be arrangED?” Natsume says.

“Ah. I did say that, didn’t I?” Anzu remembers.

“Why don’t you take Baru-kun up and have him help yOU?” He suggests. “He probably wants to ask you more questions anywAY.”

“In that case, I’ll-”

“Actually, you can help me with something down heRE. I’d like to talk to you tOO.” Natsume interrupts Hokuto’s sentence. Hokuto gives him a suspicious look but doesn’t say anything.

“Sounds like a good idea” Anzu agrees and comes out from behind the counter. “In that case, I’ll show you to the attic.”

Subaru nods and follows behind Anzu. Once Natsume hears no longer hears their voices, he sighs and stretches out his arms.

“There’s nothing that you need help with, is there?” Hokuto says, crossing his arms.

“You’re more perceptive than I thougHT.” Natsume says. “Indeed, you are correCT.”

“Then why lie about it?” He asks.

“Don’t get me wroNG. I may have lied about needing help but I didn’t lie about wanting to talk to yOU.” He corrects.

“I don’t understand what you would want to talk to me about. We barely know each other.”

“Which is all the more reason I’d like to taLK.” Natsume says. “Recently, you’ve been frequenting the shop oftEN.”

Hokuto frowns slightly and tightens his crossed arms.

“This is only the second time I’ve seen you but your body language speaks for itseLF. You’re not very subtle, are you?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Hokuto protests.

Despite his protest, Natsume can see that he understood what his words mean.

“Little Kitten is quite the dense oNE. That’s unlucky for yOU.” He says.

“I’ve been wondering something.” Hokuto says. “Why do you call her Little Kitten?”

Natsume has two options.

He could tell the truth or make something up to tease him.

Actually, he only has one option.

“It’s a nicknaME.”

“But why?”

“Why wouldn’t I give her a nicknaME? After all, she is my lovER.”

Hokuto’s eyes widen in panic and his arms fall to his sides. He looks at Natsume with a doubtful look and he nods in response. Hokuto looks down at the floor and processes Natsume’s words.

This is funny.

This is really funny.

It’s almost hilarious even.

If Natsume didn’t know how to hold a poker face, he’d burst out laughing. He didn’t know those words could throw Hokuto into a state of shock.

“I’m jokiNG.” Natsume confesses. “But I did enjoy seeing your face of despair for a short secoND.”

Hokuto frowns and presses his finger into his temple. It seems he’s gotten a headache.

“Let’s get to the point. You have something you want to say, don’t you?” Hokuto declares.

“Found me out once agaIN. You could be the next Sherlock HolmES.” Natsume says.

“Stop messing around.”

“You know with those detective skills, you should be able to figure out if Little Kitten has the same feelings for you tOO.”

Hokuto’s face becomes a light red and his voice begins to waver.

“How do you-”

“Like I said, you’re not very subtLE. There’s no point in hiding IT.”

Hokuto groans and facepalms. He glares at Natsume between his fingers.

“So what are you going to do with this information? Expose me?”

“Actually, you’re wroNG.” Natsume says. “At first, I just wanted to tease yOU.”

“You…”

“That was at firST.” He says. “Now that I see you’re smitten with her, I think that I wouldn’t mind aiding my assistance if you want IT.”

Hokuto looks at him dumbfounded and blinks several times.

“Your assistance?”

“For example, I can concoct a love potion for yOU.” He suggests.

“Sounds shady. I’ll pass.” He quickly rejects Natsume’s offer.

The sound of muffled footsteps shuffling be heard above them. Natsume assumes that they’re done organizing boxes. Hokuto walks pass Natsume and heads over to the attic door.

“Is there anything you need help with up there?” Hokuto shouts.

“We’re actually done!” Anzu yells back. She climbs down from the attic and brushes off any dust on her. Subaru comes after her and jumps onto the floor, sticking the landing.

“I learned about a lot Anzu today! I hope we can be good friends!” He says, grabbing her hands and shaking them.

“Yeah, I hope so too.” She smiles at him fondly. “I had fun today.”

The three of them go over to the main area of the shop and Anzu turns, looking at Hokuto.

“So what’ll be this week?” She says. He’s caught off guard by her sudden question but gains his composure quickly.

“I was thinking that you would pick them out again.” He says.

“I was hoping you’d say that!” Anzu says happily. She heads over to the displays and picks out several of the same flower.

It’s a white flower and some of the petals have specks of red. The middle of the flower is yellow from the pollen.

“This is an alstroemeria. It symbolizes friendship.” She explains and goes over to the counter, creating the bouquet. “It’s to celebrate me becoming friends with Subaru and you becoming friends with Natsume.”

“Oh, I don’t think tha-”

“We got along quite well while the two of you were upstaiRS.” Natsume says menacingly. “Isn’t that rigHT?”

Hokuto swallows his words and nods, agreeing with the statement. Anzu smiles satisfiedly and hands him the bouquet. He pulls out his wallet and hands her the money.

“Thank you for your patronage.” She says.

Hokuto smiles at her and slips his wallet back into his pocket.

“Ah, Hokke! I just remembered that it’s my turn to make dinner tonight.” Subaru says.

“Oh, that’s right. I suppose we should head home.” He says.

“I’ll see you next week.” Anzu says, waving them goodbye.

“Yeah, I’ll see you.”

“Bye Anzu! I’ll come back next time!” Subaru exclaims cheerfully. “I'll see you later too, Natsume.”

Natsume waves at Subaru and he runs out the door onto the streets. Anzu disappears underneath the counter and Natsume can hear her counting. She’s probably checking how many pots they have.

“Goodbye Sakasaki.” Hokuto says.

Natsume never told him his name so he must’ve looked at the name tag on his apron. That’s very convenient.

Natsume quickly walks up to Hokuto and grabs his shoulder. The next words he whispered were cryptic and gave Hokuto chills.

“LeTS alOnG fRom nOw On, HokKE-KuN.”


	5. a trip to a family restaurant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He’s just fine with just talking to her and buying flowers from her.  
> For now, he’s fine with the relationship they have.  
> Simple talks and light jokes.  
> That’s what gets him through the rest of the week.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOAH IM NOT DEAD??  
> also i'm happy to announce that i am halfway thru my high school career and i have no idea what the hell i am doing  
> i think that updates will be very slow  
> LIKE EXTREMELY SLOW  
> because i want to prioritize school first (everyone should tho)  
> so i think the next update will probably be at the end of next month or december.  
> thank you so much for reading and have a wonderful day!

_“I think I wouldn’t mind aiding you assistance, if you want IT.”_

Hokuto doesn’t know why that him, out of all people, would help him. It’s not like he needs help in the first place.

_“Like I said, you’re not very subtLE. There’s no point in hiding IT.”_

It it...that obvious? It’s not like he tries to be but somehow the people around him can see it clearly.

Everyone except for one person.

Hokuto flips through his script aimlessly. He’s not even focusing and he’s barely reading any words. Even though he’s supposed to be memorizing his lines, there’s no speck of concentration.

Hokuto can hear the sound of passing cars and birds from outside. Everyone else is out doing what they usually do during the day. Subaru and Makoto were probably at work and Mao was at university, sitting through a lecture.

At this time, Hokuto would also be at work but today, he got a message from Wataru saying that he and Tomoya both have the day off. He followed up the message by saying that he has something planned the next time they come into work.

Hokuto sighs and closes his script completely, getting up to get a drink from the refrigerator. He doesn’t have the motivation to touch his script again today. If he forced himself to read it, then it wouldn’t help him at all.

As he drinks his water bottle, he tries to think of what he can do today. Sitting around at home all day just promotes laziness and that seems pretty boring to him.

He could go walk around town but there’s really no place he wants to go specifically. The park would be a nice place but the weather forecast said it would rain earlier today. Perhaps he could go stock up on groceries and plan to make something for dinner. He doesn’t remember whose turn is it to make dinner tonight. The rotations probably got messed up again.

He could go to the flower shop again, to see Anzu. Even though he saw her yesterday.

He’d like to go see her again.

He’d love it actually.

Hokuto finishes his bottle and throws it into the trash. He decides to clean up the apartment before heading out. As he’s cleaning, there are new sounds outside the apartment.

The sound of footsteps from other patents, the sound of faint conversations from outside the door, and the sound of persistent knocking coming from the door.

The knocking is annoying.

It’s very annoying.

Hokuto soon realizes that the knocking is coming from the door instead of someone else's. He walks briskly towards the door and opens it so that the knocking ceases.

“Yes?” He says as he looks up to see who it is.

It’s Natsume.

Hokuto quickly tries to close the door on him but Natsume places his foot between the door and its frame. Hokuto struggles to close the door but Natsume’s foot is set in place and he doesn’t have the slightest intention to budge.

“You’re a terrible hoST.” Natsume says.

“I never invited you in the first place.” Hokuto retorts.

Natsume grabs the door frame with one of his hands and uses the other one to push the door back. It reminds Hokuto of those cliche horror movie films, where the murderer tries to get into the victim’s house.

“How did you get my address anyway?” Hokuto asks, still trying to close the door on him. He switches over to his back, thinking that it’d be more effective.

“You live with three other peopLE. One of them which I am quite on good terms wiTH.” He says.

“Akehoshi…” Hokuto curses under his breath. Of course Subaru had to tell him their address.

Both of them are pushing against the door with all their strength. Natsume has the advantage because his balance is better. Despite switching to his back, it wasn’t as effective as he thought it would be. He slowly slides down onto the floor and Natsume pushes the door open.

“I wIN.” He boasts, popping his head through the door.

“It was never a competition.” Hokuto frowns.

“I knOW. It’s just funny to provoke yOU.”

Hokuto frowns and gets back up on his feet, dusting himself off. Natsume steps into the apartment and looks around.

“So, what are you doing here?” Hokuto asks, crossing his arms.

“I’m gonna take you oUT.” 

“Take me out...as in an assassination?” He asks. Natsume gives Hokuto an incredulous look and sighs.

“Yes, Hokke-kUN. I’m here to assassinate yOU.” He says sarcastically. “Of course nOT. I’m just wondering if you’re free at the moment and I can see you aRE.”

Natsume eyes at the script on his table, closed and full of sticky notes. Hokuto sees where he’s glancing and pushes his script on the floor.

“I’m busy.”

“That’s the second biggest lie you’ve told me and I’ve only known you for two daYS.”

“People who met two days ago wouldn’t feel threatened by the other one’s presence.”

“You’re threatened by ME? I’m flatterED.”

If he’s being honest, threatened is the only feeling that runs through Hokuto when he talks to Natsume. He’s not scary or unsettling but threatening. Not in a violent way but more of his natural presence sets him off. Somehow his presence just sends a message to his brain saying that no matter what, he needs to proceed with caution.

“While I find it amusing that you’re threatened by me, I can assure you that there’s nothing to be scared OF. I just need you to come with me real quiCK.”

“Shouldn’t you be at work?” Hokuto asks, trying to change the subject.

“Little Kitten gave me the day oFF. She has an interview with a new part-timER.” He says. “Now, are you coming or nOT?”

The cautious part of his brain is practically yelling at him to not go with Natsume. The other half is actually thinking of going with him. There’s not a reason or anything. It just tells him to go.

Then a question pops up in Hokuto’s head.

Why would Natsume come to their apartment without a reason? Surely, it couldn’t be for a simple talk and provocation. There has to be something more to this.

Then a reason to go with Natsume pops up in Hokuto’s head.

“Ok.”

Natsume’s eyes widen in surprise. He was probably expecting a rejection.

“Just give me a minute and then we can go. I need to find my keys.” Hokuto says, getting up to look around.

“You mean theSE?” Natsume holds a pair of keys and a wallet in his hands.

“Where did y-”

“I had another alternative if you didn’t agree to come with ME.” He says throwing Hokuto his belongings. He catches them with ease. Hokuto opens his mouth to question further but decides that he’d be better off not knowing.

Natsume opens the door and walks out the hall, with Hokuto following behind him. He quickly locks the door and continues to walk behind.

“I’m still surprised you agreed to come aloNG. I was pretty sure you’d kick me oUT.” Natsume says.

“I’m not unreasonable.” Hokuto frowns. “I’ll hear you out at least.”

“How nice of yOU.”

“It’s common courtesy.”

The two of them have made it down to the entrance of the apartment building and Hokuto hears the earlier sounds from outside the window more clearly. Cars, birds, and now with the addition of people.

“You never mentioned where we were going.” Hokuto says.

“You’ll find out once we get theRE.” Natsume answers. “Once we get there, you and I are going to have a nice long chAT.”

His words send an uncomfortable shock through Hokuto. When most people say those words, it usually parents to their children, signaling that the child was in trouble. Was he in trouble? He shouldn’t be. Hokuto didn’t do anything to make Natsume angry, or at least he shouldn’t have.

Worry and anxiety cloud Hokuto’s mind as they walked on the sidewalk. All he could do was wait until they got to their destination.

* * *

 

This is a family restaurant.

Natsume brought him to a family restaurant.

“Just two pleaSE.” Natsume tells the waiter. The waiter takes them to their table and hands them menus, respectively. They open up their menus and chose what they want.

“I’ll take the daily lunch set.” Hokuto tells the waiter.

“I’ll have the same.” Natsume says.

The waiter nods and writes it down on a notepad. He takes their menus and walks toward the kitchen to tell the cooks their orders. He comes back briefly and gives them two glasses of water before disappearing again.

“I’m going to warn you beforehand that we’re not paying together.” Natsume tells him.

“We’re paying separately?” Hokuto asks, surprised.

“Of courSE. Why would I pay for you when you have your wallET?”

“I assumed you were going to treat me. You are the one who invited me out.” Hokuto says, emphasizing the word you.

“I only have enough to pay for myseLF.”

Hokuto frowns and opens up his wallet, checking to see if he has enough. Thankfully he does. He lets out a sigh of relief and slips the wallet back into his pocket.

“Hokke-kun, I’m going to assume that you’re around my aGE. CorreCT?” Natsume asks, out of the blue.

“I think we’re around the same age.” Hokuto says.

“When’s your birthdAY?”

“December 17th.”

“Blood tyPE?”

“A.”

“OccupatiON?”

“I work at a theatre.”

Natsume’s eyes show a hint of interest when he said those words.

“What do you do theRE?” He asks.

“I do act in plays but I also help people who want to learn how to act. They’re mostly high school students in drama club.”

“So you’re a teachER?”

“Am I? I never thought of myself as one.” Hokuto says.

He always thought of himself as an adviser or coach, but a teacher doesn’t sound like a bad title. There aren’t any students who call him ‘Sensei’, instead they all call him by his last name.

“You’re a well-put person, aren’t yOU?” Natsume says, taking a drink from his glass.

“That’s just how I am. My grandma taught me that being organized is a good way to live.” He says proudly. “By the way, why are you asking me so many questions?”

Natsume sets down his water glass. It’s almost empty.

“Do you know what a daffodil means in flower language, Hokke-kUN?” Natsume deflects Hokuto’s question with one of his own. Hokuto rolls his eyes. It wouldn’t do much good to ignore the question, especially with Natsume.

“It means a rebirth or a new beginning, right?” He answers. 

“Looks like you know a lot about flower languaGE. I wondered how you knew thAT?” A smirk appears on Natsume’s face and he shoots Hokuto an implying look. Hokuto frowns and takes a sip of his water, attempting to hide his face.

“If you just brought me here to make fun of me, I’ll leave.” He mumbled into his glass.

“Don’t be so hasty and listen to me for a bIT.” He says. “While it is true that daffodils do mean rebirth, they can also foretell misfortuNE.”

Hokuto never knew that. He knew that flowers had different meanings but he never knew that a bright flower, like a daffodil, could hold an ominous meaning.

“When a daffodil begins to bloom, you could almost say that’s their beginning.” Hokuto says absentmindedly. “When they die, I suppose that’s their misfortune.”

“Very smart, Hokke-kUN. You could fight Sherlock for the title of Greatest DetectiVE.” Natsume jokes. “If Little Kitten were here, then she’d talk nonstOP.”

He’d like that actually.

Hearing her talk is almost therapeutic. She has the type of voice that immediately soothes you when you hear it. Whenever she greets him or says goodbye, he’s happy that he’s able to hear a fraction of her voice.

He’d like to hear her talk about many things besides flowers.

“You said that Anzu is interviewing a new part-timer? Hokuto asks, remembering.

“She IS. I met him earlier when I dropped by to check on our cash registER.” Natsume says. “You’ll probably meet him soON. Don’t want to spoil the surpriSE.”

“If he gets hired, then you’ll have three employees. Wasn’t it hard to manage the shop with just two?”

“How do you know that we have tWO?”

“Don’t ask me questions that you already know the answer to. If I answer, you’ll make fun of me. ” Hokuto frowns and glares at him. Natsume chuckles at him.

“Indeed, it was really hard to manage it with just the two of US. We got used to it at some poiNT. Little Kitten says that if we work hard then it’ll be fine and it has been fiNE.” He says. “Personally, I think it’d be nice to have a pair of extra hanDS. Makes my job more easiER.”

“How haven’t you gotten fired yet?”

“Who knoWS? Little Kitten just loves me so muCH.” Natsume says. “Just like how you love hER.”

“I-It’s not like that.” Hokuto says. “I’m not in love with her.”

“This is the fourth lie and funniest joke you’ve told ME.” Natsume chuckles.

To say that he’s in love with her is an overstatement.

Love is a very strong word. There are many versions for one single word.

There’s platonic love. He feels that for his friends.His friends are important to him and he’s important them. If he didn’t love his friends, then he wouldn’t be living with them. All three of them.

There’s familial love. He feels that for his family. He knows that his parents love him but sometimes it would be nice to be reminded of that. His grandparents gave him lots of love when he was young. No wonder he grew up to be such a grandma’s boy.

Finally, there’s romantic love. It’s the one that he’s most unfamiliar with. Not a day goes by that he’s reminded of how much his parents love each other. His father practically praises that the day he met his mother was a holy day. Their relationship is a bit too heavy from Hokuto’s point of view. If he were to be in a relationship then he’d want it to be similar to his grandparents. They’ve been together for a long time, understand each other, and Hokuto never sees a sign of their love fading. It’s admirable.

Love is also a word that sets people off.

Hypothetically, if Hokuto told Anzu that he loves her, that could destroy their current relationship. He’s just fine with just talking to her and buying flowers from her. For now, he’s fine with the relationship they have. Simple talks and light jokes. That’s what gets him through the rest of the week.

“Hokke-kUN.” Natsume snaps his fingers in front of his face and Hokuto flinches back into his seat. He blinks several times and frowns at Natsume.

“Don’t do that.” He says.

“Say please and I’ll considER.” Natsume retorts.

Hokuto’s frown almost turns into a scowl until the waiter arrives with their orders. The daily lunch set isn’t anything special. It’s a bento box with assorted foods in it. It almost looks like something that would be served at a New Year's gathering. It seems that there was no effort put into it at all.

“Enjoy your meal.” The waiter says before dashing off to serve another table.

Without speaking a word, Natsume grabs his fork and starts to eat his food. Hokuto follows his lead and does the same. For a few minutes, they eat in silence. The food isn’t bad but there are some parts that aren’t good. It’s the normal taste for a family restaurant.

“You say you’re not in love with Little KittEN.” Natsume asks, not looking up from his meal.

“Yes.” He answers. Hokuto doesn’t look up either.

“If you’re not in love with her then why bother coming to the shOP?”

Hokuto plays around with his fork, thinking about his answer. Natsume probably knows the answer so he might as well answer honestly. It wouldn’t do him well to lie again.

“Because...I like to watch Anzu work...and I like talking to her…” Hokuto says with a strained voice. It’s hard to say something like this with a serious face. He grits his teeth in embarrassment and his face feels warm. “I just...like being around her.”

He expected Natsume to laugh at him but he doesn’t hear laughter at all. All he hears is the sound of hums. Hokuto glances at Natsume, who is looking down at the table in serious thought. He can hear mumbles coming from Natsume but he can’t make out the exact words.

“I have one more question for yOU.” He finally says. “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want TO.”

That’s the first time he’s given Hokuto a choice.

“Have you ever considered pursuing a relationship with Little KittEN?”

From those words, Hokuto feels his whole body tense up. He drops his fork and it gently clatters onto the table. His mouth goes dry and words get stuck in his throat. It’s not because he’s embarrassed.

It’s because he doesn’t know.

Natsume watches him trouble himself for a few more seconds and takes out his wallet, slamming down a couple of dollar bills. He gets up from his seat and brushes off anything that was on him.

“I’m not leaving because you didn’t answER. I have another engagement after this and I don’t want to be laTE.” Natsume explains. He walks towards Hokuto and sets his hand on his shoulder, closing in on his ear. “If you do consider pursuing a relationship with her, don’t do it half-heartedLY.”

Those last words had a powerful energy that reminds Hokuto of what his initial feeling is when he talks to Natsume.

It was threatening.

“I never answered your question, diD I?” Natsume remembers. “I just wanted to see what kind of person you aRE. This is also my way of helping yOU. RemembER? I told you that I’d aid my assistanCE.”

Hokuto remembers those words very well. It’s not like he can forget them.

“I’ll consult you whenever you need or want IT. That’s my assistanCE.” He explains.

“Do you get anything out of this?”

“What’s wrong with wanting to help a frieND?”

“You think we’re friends?” Hokuto asks with genuine curiosity.

“Who said I was talking about US?” Natsume retorts with a smirk. “Have a good day, Hokke-kUN. Let’s do this again sometiME.”

Natsume waves at him as he walks away. Hokuto watches him as he walks out the automatic doors. When he walked out, it was as if he disappeared beyond the glass. Hokuto takes out his wallet to pay for his food but notices a small sticky note near the dollars Natsume set down.

_“I lied. I had enough for the both of us. It’s my treat, afterall.”_

Hokuto sighs and slips his wallet back into his pocket. He gets up from the table and begins to walk to the doors. They split open and Hokuto walks out of the restaurant, going back to the apartment.

As he walks, he notices that the sun isn’t as bright than it was last time he saw it. He checks his watch and sees that it’s three o'clock. They entered the restaurant at twelve o’clock.

That’s a sign that they were talking for too long.


	6. the heat is getting to me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hearing that her laugh is nice and that she’s pleasant to be around puts an odd feeling in Anzu’s chest.  
> It's a feeling she’s not familiar with.  
> It’s a very ticklish feeling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi! it's been a VERY long time that i've posted a chapter and now that it's winter break, i finally got down to it.  
> i think that this will be the last update for awhile because i am still in school (high school baby) and i can never catch a break.  
> thank you to all the people who've been reading this! it makes me really happy that you like it even though i update like once every three or two months.  
> anyways, happy holidays and have a wonderful day!
> 
> edit: i do have a twitter (@hii_chans) idk what i’m doing giving a promo to my twt but if y’all wanna see what i do besides write then

She hired a part-timer.

It was unexpected at first, to hear that someone wanted a job here. They’re not exactly the first store that pops into people’s heads when they hear the word job. The person she hired was originally a customer. They’ve talked a few times but it was just casual conversation. You could call them acquaintances.

“Sakuma-kun, is everything good over there? You look a bit tired.” Anzu calls at the new part-timer, who’s sweeping the floor. Said part-timer looks over at her and lets out a deep yawn.

“I told you Ritsu is just fine.” He sighs.

“Sorry, it just seems a bit unnatural to call you that.” Anzu laughs lightly. “Also, you’re barely sweeping. You’re just holding the broom.”

“Alright.” Ritsu moves the broom back and forth, creating small brushing noises across the floor. “Look at me go. Sweeping the floor. Hooray for productivity. Wow, you’re so hard-working Ritsu. I should give you a raise.”

“I just hired you.” Anzu says.

“You didn’t say no to the raise.” Ritsu retorts.

Anzu sighs and goes behind the counter. She grabs an empty spray bottle and watering can from underneath. She goes outside to check on the sunflower pots. The heat rays of the sun are strong today. The season of summer doesn’t seem to be very kind to the people this year.

Anzu crouches down to the faucet and fills up the empty spray bottle. Once it’s filled up, she shakes it, for fun and to make sure no water spills out. Next, she grabs the watering can and fills it up to the brim. She’s considering leaving the watering can out here but there’s a risk of it being stolen. Anzu positions herself near the sunflower pots and tips the spout of the watering can, letting water fall from it. The water that comes out from the spout always resembles water, she thinks. Do the manufacturers make it that way on purpose or did they do it by accident? The anatomy of the watering can will forever remain a mystery to her.

Anzu threw the thought into the back of her head and stood up. She looked down at all the pots. She nods to herself, satisfied with watering and heads back inside. When she goes back inside, she sees Ritsu who is somehow sleeping while standing. He sways back and forth with the broom, resting against his cheek. Actually, it’s not so much resting as it is stabbing his cheek. Anzu watches him sleep and waves her hand in front of him to see if he wakes up.

“Ritsu?” She calls. The call of his name doesn’t stir anything and he continues to sleep. Anzu lets out yet another sigh and thinks about how to deal with this. She plays with the trigger of the spray bottle and looks down at it. She looks back and forth, alternating between the spray bottle and Ritsu.

She shouldn’t do it but she kinda wants to.

It’d be funny but he’d get mad at her.

Anzu holds the spray bottle up, an inch away from his face. The urge to spray his face wells up inside of Anzu and she freezes in that position. Her finger trembles near the trigger of the bottle.

The bell on the door rings as the door swings. Surprised by the sound, Anzu’s finger slips and presses the trigger. A sharp spray of water hits Ritsu’s forehead and drips onto the floor. He opens his eyes slowly, touches his forehead, and looks down at his hand with water residue. He doesn’t say anything else and keeps staring at his hand.

“I-I’m sorry, Ritsu! My hand slipped! I didn’t mean to do that!” Anzu exclaims frantically. She buries her face into her hands, groaning. “This is a terrible start to your first day. I’m such a bad boss.”

“I’m not angry. I’m just wondering what you’re going to do about that customer over there.” He says, pointing at the door. Anzu turns to look and Ritsu grabs the spray bottle out of her hand, pointing it at her. Anzu quickly turns back to him, putting her hands up as if she were under arrest.

“Ritsu, let’s think this through.” She says.

“I haven’t played with one of these since I was younger. I mean, kids these days would use water guns instead of a spray bottle.” He ignores Anzu's comment and keeps the nozzle focused on her.

Anzu eyes her left side and jerks to that side. Ritsu immediately moves it when she moves. Anzu bites her bottom lip and thinks. No matter where she moves, he’s bound to shoot her.

Suddenly, Ritsu’s points the nozzle at the floor and pulls the trigger. Anzu lets out a weird noise and jumps back. It seems that he was aiming for her shoes.

“Stop that!” She scolds him. Ritsu laughs at her quietly and places the spray bottle on the counter.

“You’re a good boss, Anzu. You have funny reactions and you’re bad at hiding things.” He tells her. “I could feel you pointing the bottle at me. It was really hard not to laugh.”

“You and Natsume might just be the death of me.” Anzu mumbles.

“I’ll clean it up, don’t worry. Go ahead and take care of the customer. He must’ve had a blast watching that.” Ritsu says yawning, grabbing a cloth from under the counter. After all of that commotion, he’s still tired.

Anzu’s eyes widen and she quickly turns to see what’s behind her. She thought Ritsu was lying about there being a customer but then again, it doesn’t make sense on how the bell rings without a person opening it. Behind her is a confused Hidaka Hokuto, who has his eyebrows furrowed in a questioning manner. Anzu walks over to him and his attention immediately focuses on her. She does her best to hide her embarrassment of being seen doing such a silly thing.

“I see you hired a new person.” Hokuto says with laces of confusion. “Sakasaki told me about him.”

“You talked to Natsume?” Anzu asks.

“He...invited me out to have a meal. It was completely unexpected and forced on me.” He complains.

“You sound like you had fun though.” She laughs.

“Not in the slightest.” Hokuto protests.

Anzu laughs as he complains about his outing with Natsume. Hokuto is the type of person who can be toyed and teased easily, which makes him a perfect target for Natsume.

“That’s not the point though. I’m not here to talk about Sakasaki.” Hokuto says. “I need to place an order.”

“Is this for your weekly purchase?” She asks.

“No, it’s something else. It’s for work.”

His workplace, huh? He’s never told her where he works but from what she knows, she assumes that it has something to deal with theatre.

“For the order, I need to know what kind of flowers you need and the amount.” She takes out a paper and pencil, waiting for Hokuto to speak. He opens his mouth to speak but is interrupted by a ringing noise. Hokuto takes out his phone and answers the call immediately.

“Hello? Yes, I was about to ask her right now.” Hokuto says into the phone. Anzu waits and watches him handle his phone call. “What?! What do you mean that you change your mind? You can’t just do that on a whim. President? Don’t hang up on me. There is no bad connection! You’re just crumpling a piece of paper! No, it’s clearly the sound of paper!”

Hokuto lowers his phone from his ear and scowls at it. He sighed and slipped it back into his pocket.

“There’s been a change of plans. Now President says he wants to talk to you.”

“President?”

“It’s him.” He holds up his phone, only to show a contact number. The caller’s icon is a picture of a man with birds surrounding him.

“Wataru-san...” She says with a disappointing tone. “You said he wants to talk to me?”

“I would’ve given the phone to you but he said he’d prefer face to face.”

“I don’t mind but…” Anzu turns to look for Ritsu. He’s sitting on a stool behind the counter, eyes half closed. It would be bad to leave him alone, especially on his first day of work.

There could be some pros to leaving Ritsu alone. For starters, leaving him by himself could make him work harder. If he’s by himself then maybe it can prompt him to do some actual work. Making up her decision, Anzu walks over to counter and shakes Ritsu awake.

“Ritsu, I’m going to leave the shop. Can you take of it on your own?”

“That’s a bad idea, you know. I won’t be able to fend for myself in this world.” He complains.

“If you do well, I’ll consider that raise.”

“That’s a lie and you know it.”

Yeah, she was lying but it was worth a shot.

“What if I let you nap in the attic during breaks?”

“I’ll work hard.”

Hearing those words made him unusually motivated. Anzu smiles and turns to Hokuto.

“I’ll go talk to him. Where is he?” She asks.

“He’s at our workplace right now. I’ll show you where it is.” He offers. “It’s not a far walk from here.”

Hokuto goes out the door and Anzu follows behind. Before fully exiting the door, she gives Ritsu a thumbs and she receives one back from him. She walks out of the store without any worries.

 The sun’s rays hit harder than usual. It hasn’t been that long since she was out here but they’re stronger than last time. Anzu thinks that the sun could be out to get all of humanity.

“Sorry to drag you out of the shop while you’re working.” Hokuto apologizes.

“It’s fine. You guys are ordering something so it’s my job to make sure you get what you want.” She says. “Besides, meeting face to face is the best choice. I think I’d understand him better that way.”

“President does talk with his hands after all.” He laughs lightly.

“Why do you call him President anyway? Is it a nickname?” Anzu asks.

“It’s more of a habit. We went to highschool together and were in the same club. He was the club president thus I ended up calling him President. Even after we graduated, I still keep calling him that.” Hokuto explains.

“Ah, I see. I thought it was a nickname because of how funny it sounds.” She laughs.  You wouldn’t expect him to have a grand title.”

“It’s more trivial instead of grand. I did try to call him by his real name once but he ended up throwing a fit. Saying that I have no respect for my senior anymore. Honestly, Masked Pervert is a better nickname for him.”

“Isn’t that a bit too harsh towards Wataru-san?” Anzu laughs again. Hokuto looks at her for a while and hums, as if he’s understood something. She cocks her head to the side in questioning. “Is something wrong?”

“Hm? It’s nothing. I was just thinking that you have a nice laugh.” He says.

“Huh?”

“It might be hard to hear because it’s your laugh though.”

She doesn’t know how to respond to a comment like that. It was something she didn’t expect.

“Thank you.” She blurts out without thinking.

Hokuto nods in response and the two of them continue to walk. Anzu’s cheeks start to feel a bit warm. The heat must be getting to her again.

Yes, it must definitely be the heat.

* * *

They arrive at a modest-looking theatre. The outside isn’t flashy but if there were lights, it would attract a lot of attention. It’s a fairly big building and she assumes that there’s multiple floors. This building has always been in town but Anzu has never really known about it until now.

Hokuto enters the building without a care and she quickly follows him. The inside is a spacious lobby with bright lighting. There’s a couple of tall tables that have leftover paper brochures on them. This lobby looks like it’s in some need of desperate cleaning. At the end of the lobby, there are two identical doors. One of them is on the left and the other one is on the right. Anzu begins to wonder how many doors does this one place needs.

“Anzu, over here.” Hokuto calls. She walks over to where he is.

He stands at the left door with his hands on it, pushing it open. Beyond the doors is a large stage, rounded at the ends. It’s adorned with a velvet blue curtain. Below the stage are rows of seats that reach to where the two of them are.

“Is he in here? I don’t see him anywhere.” Anzu says, looking around. As she looks around, she sees that there is a balcony above her. It’s filled with many more seats.

“He’s always here. That’s the worst part.” He says. “You never see him though so it makes it more terrifying.”

“Have you no respect for you senior, Hokuto-kun?!”

A loud voice booms throughout the theatre. Anzu jumps, startled by the voice. She whips her head around, trying to find the source. Hokuto just stands there, rubbing his fingers into the temple of his head.

“Just come out wherever you are, President. Anzu is here.” Hokuto yells out into the theatre.

In a blink of an eye, something resembling a ball drops down from the ceiling of the stage. Said ball emerges and reveals that it was Wataru, standing perfectly right in the middle of the stage.

“Anzu-san, it’s good to see you again! How are those sunflowers we planted?” Wataru asks.

“They’re doing well! They’re growing healthy.” She says.

“Excellent! It would make me sad to hear of something I gave birth to was sickly.”

 _“You didn’t give birth to them though.”_ Anzu retorts internally. She shuts her mouth to prevent that remark from coming out and disguises it with a false laugh.

“Besides that, I have something to talk to you about.” Wataru changes the subject.

“Ok, that’s great. I just need what kind of flower and how many of them you ne-” Anzu starts but is quickly silenced by Wataru, who holds up his hand.

“Before I place my order, I have one question.” He says. “Anzu-san, how would you like to be a part of our backstage crew?”

“Huh?” Both Hokuto and Anzu say at the same time.

“I’ve seen how your shop is decorated. It’s a very simple yet eye-catching style. I’d like to lend us your design technique for our stage set.” Wataru explains. “You’re also very skilled with management in general so it would be amazing to have you backstage.”

“Just wait a minute, President!” Hokuto exclaims before Anzu gets a chance to answer. “Anzu has the shop to take care of and that practically takes up her whole time. Don’t you think you’re being a bit too selfish with this request?”

“Aw, Hokuto-kun. If you don’t want her here then just say so.”

“I never said that! Don’t put words in my mouth!” Hokuto exclaims angrily.

The two of them argue but it becomes white noise for Anzu. She could easily accept the offer. There’s really no harm in doing so except time management. It does pique her interest quite a bit. She’s never worked with anything theatre-related so it would make for a new environment. A change of pace would be good right about now.

Still unsure about her answer, Wataru breaks away from his argument with Hokuto and turns to her.

“So? How about it?” He asks.

Anzu sees how eager he is to hear her answer. She takes in a deep breath and decides that whatever comes out of her mouth will be what she goes with. Whatever trouble comes along the way with her answer are things that she can think about later.

No taking back her words.

No changing her mind about anything.

Just one singular word.

Anzu exhales and speaks one resounding word that solidifies her answer.

“Ok.”

* * *

“Anzu, you really didn’t have to accept his offer.”

“It’s fine. I think it’s a good change of pace for me.”

The two of them walked down the street, heading back to the shop. After Anzu accepted Wataru’s offer, he practically jumped for joy. Hokuto, on the other hand, was truly surprised by her answer. Anzu did get down Wataru’s flower order after he calmed down. He ordered at least a hundred roses. He said that they were for personal and work use. Anzu didn’t ask any further about that.

Before they left, Wataru shoved a script and sketch pad into Anzu’s hands. The script was obviously for her read but the sketch pad was an odd thing to give to someone.

_“While you read the script, I want you to draw up what you think the background in the scenes looks like. Once you’ve done that, let me see them so that we can get started working on the set.”_

It seemed like a simple enough job and one that Anzu would find fun. She does like to draw after all.

“You can still turn him down. It’s not too late.” Hokuto says. “I don’t want you to feel obligated to accept.”

For the past minutes they’ve been walking, Hokuto has been ‘casually’ dropping hints that Anzu should go back and change her mind. She knows he’s not doing it to be rude. He’s just being considerate. He understands that she’s got a lot of her plate by being a store owner and doesn’t want her to work or stress herself out.

“For the fifth time, it’s okay. I don’t mind helping out. It’s not going to kill me or anything if I help out, is it?” She asks him.

“N-No, it won’t.” Hokuto says.

“Exactly. It won’t kill me. Let me help you out for once. Like Wataru-san said, if you don’t want me here then just say so.” Anzu laughs lightly. Hokuto frowns at her comment.

“That’s not what I meant! I like having you here!” He exclaims.

Anzu’s eyes widen and so do Hokuto’s. His comment has put both of them in a state of embarrassment. Though she can’t see it, her cheeks are tainted a light shade of red.

“I don’t mean it in a weird way.” Hokuto says quickly. “I meant as in a way that friends can enjoy each other’s company. That’s what I meant to say. I enjoy your company. You’re pleasant to be around. You’re nice to be around.”

“Ah…” is the only sound that comes out of Anzu’s mouth, as she nods to Hokuto’s words. He groans and brings a hand to his face.

“I’m sorry. I just said what I was on my mind. I should also apologize for saying your laugh is nice. I just say things without thinking about them.” Hokuto says, flustered by his actions.

“N-No, it’s fine. I don’t mind at all. You have nothing to apologize for.” Anzu protests. “It’s nice actually. I also like having you here. I also enjoy your company. Being around you is...nice.”

She technically just repeated what Hokuto said. She’s not lying about though. Being around Hokuto is different than being around other people, like Natsume. It’s more relaxing and she lets her guard down with him.

Another “Ah…” comes out but this time it’s from Hokuto. They both looked at each other for a few minutes before deciding that they should continue walking. The two of them don’t speak after that. They just keep walking down the street in silence. The only things they hear were their footsteps and the occasional passing cars.

As they walk, the things that Hokuto said replay in her mind. Hearing that her laugh is nice and that she’s pleasant to be around puts an odd feeling in Anzu’s chest. It's a feeling she’s not familiar with. It’s a very ticklish feeling.

Right now, the sky is still bright and the sun’s rays are still going strong. The sun is practically attacking the Earth at this point. It’s probably noon right about now. She wonders how Ritsu is handling the shop.

Anzu glances over at Hokuto, who has a hand placed on his forehead.

“I think the heat is getting to me.” Hokuto mumbled under his breath. Unaware that Anzu can hear him, she places her hand on her cheek and mumbles as well.

“Yeah, me too.”


	7. dream I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At first, the voice doesn’t come right away.  
> There are a few seconds of silence before a crackling sound comes through.  
> The crackling sound fades out and a woman's voice tunes in.  
> Once he hears her voice, he knows exactly who it is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM NOT DEAD?? HOORAY??  
> i've been really swamped with irl stuff and school but today!! i have a special surprise!! today you get a two chapter update so that means two chapters!! in one day!! isn't that cool!  
> so yeah this will probably be my last update until summer starts so i will see y'all in three or four months!  
> have a wonderful day!!

He’s in a room with him and himself only.

The walls are pure white with the only exception being a wooden door. He tries to open it but it’s locked. He rattles with the knob some more to see if it’ll come open. Despite his efforts, it still stays locked. He sighs, giving up, and turns away from the door

It’s like he’s in a box.

In the middle of the room is a table with a tape recorder and some cassette tapes. He walks over to the table and takes a look at all the cassette tapes. They’re all marked with numbers on them.

The most logical thing to do would be to put them into the recorder.

So he does that.

He puts the tape with the number one on it into the recorder. When it's in, a familiar voice plays.

_ “Here you go, Hocchan. Have some konpeitou.” _

Ah, it’s the voice of his grandmother.

The recording goes on for a few more minutes, playing the sound of his grandma’s voice. When it ends, the cassette tape shoots out of the recorder and falls onto the floor.

Unbothered by it, he takes another tape and puts it in the recorder. He continues doing this until every tape has been played.

Every tape belongs to a certain person’s voice. They're the voices of people in his life who are close to him. The one that plays after is Subaru, and after that is Makoto, and after that is Mao. He’s not surprised that they have tapes. He expected them to be here in the first place.

The next two tapes are from Wataru and Tomoya. All he hears from Wataru’s is ramblings that feel endless. When it finally ended, he let out a sigh of relief unintentionally. Tomoya’s tape was full of unrelenting praise and compliments. It was a bit embarrassing to hear all those nice things about him, though some of them are a bit exaggerated.

The next tape was from someone who he didn’t expect to hear.

It was his father.

_ “Hocchan, are you doing well? Your father is getting lonely. You should come and visit soon.” _

He remembers those words from the last time he had a phone call with him. The rest of his messages were just him rambling about how lonely he is without him at home. It was repetitive but his father had a point. Maybe he’ll come visit in the next week or two.

He only has one tape left. Honestly, he can’t imagine who would be left after all those people. He puts the tape into the recorder and waits to hear whose voice it is.

At first, the voice doesn’t come right away. There are a few seconds of silence before a crackling sound comes through. The crackling sound fades out and a woman's voice tunes in. Once he hears her voice, he knows exactly who it is.

_ “They say if you sigh too much, happiness escapes.” _

_ “It’s fine. Talking to customers is part of the job.” _

_ “I also enjoy your company. Being around you is...nice.” _

Her voice has a soft tone to it. The way she talks is proper but it’s also somehow casual. Two things that he wouldn’t expect to mix well together. She’s a bit awkward on how to act with others as an individual but she’s a professional when talking to customers. Sometimes she talks and complains about small topics like things she’s seen during the day or the sun being too strong. Sometimes she laughs a little at the end of her sentences. Whatever she talks about, it’s always fun to hear about.

The recording ends and the tape shoots out, landing on the floor with the others. He picks up all the tapes and puts them all onto the table, ordering them by number. Once they’re all in order, he hears a clicking sound behind him. He turns and sees that the previously locked door was opening up. He doesn’t think twice about who or what opened it and goes right through it.

Beyond the door is a beach but it’s different from the beach he’s used to.

Instead of a bright blue sky, it's a mixture of blue and black. Where the sun used to be was where the moon resided. Replaced by the illumination of the moon, the rays of the sun are no more. A place that would be full of people is now bare and desolate. It's depressing but there’s some sort of charm to it.

He goes to the shoreline and looks out at the sea. A small wave washes over his feet and he shudders in reaction to its cold temperature. He lays down, back against the sand, and looks up at the sky. There are small white specks scattered throughout the sky. He assumes those must be stars. Another wave comes but instead of going up to his feet, they go up to his ankles. It’s just as cold as last time.

They say that the sea is where all life originates. A place where things are born and where things die. The sea is a place full of the unknown. People study the sea but the majority are far more interested in what’s beyond Earth then what’s on it.

It’s such a shame, he thinks.

People are so concerned with what they don’t know and have. Instead of settling for what they have, they always search for something greater and grander. Just because you have more doesn’t mean you’re happy, is what he thinks. That's how he knows that humanity is naturally selfish.

Of course, he’s not one to talk.

There’s one thing that he wishes that he could have more of.

Something that’s in his grasp but he’s too afraid to take the chance to grab it.

Almost everyone has something like that.

Things they wish for.

Things they want.

Things they desire.

Things they want to monopolize.

He’s no different from them.

He can feel his eyes struggling to stay open so he closes them. He takes a deep breath and the scent of the sea wafts through his nose. It’s salty just as it should be. The sound of the waves crashing along the shoreline make for pretty good white noise. He relaxes, letting his body be overtaken by the sand and sea. All these conditions make it hard for him to not fall asleep. He can feel himself losing consciousness by the second. 

All of that is lost when he hears an ear piercing scream.

* * *

Hokuto sits up in his bed quickly, breathing heavily to the point where it almost sounds like hyperventilation. His chest feels tight and he places his hand on it to feel his heartbeat. It’s abnormally fast. It’s like he was just electrified by something.

“What the hell…” He mumbles, questioning his recent dream.

He takes in many deep breaths, attempting to regulate his breathing. Once he’s back to normal, he gets out of his bed. A sharp pain courses through his head, making him a bit dizzy as he stands. Hokuto gets a hold of the doorknob to regain his balance. He lets out an annoyed sigh and opens the door.

Out in the living room, he can hear his three other roommates talking. He noticed that they were talking pretty quietly. It’s nice that they were being considerate of him while he was still sleeping. When he walks into the living room, he sees that all three of them were sitting in the living room.

“Ah! Hokke is finally awake!” Subaru exclaims. “You’re never the last one to wake up. What’s up with that?”

“He’s probably just tired. There’s some breakfast on the table if you want it.” Mao says. “Subaru made eggs.”

Hokuto looks over at the dinner table and sees a plate with eggs.

Nothing else with it.

It’s just eggs.

“You didn’t make anything else?” Hokuto asks.

“I wanted eggs and that was the only thing I can think about.” Subaru shrugs.

Hokuto doesn’t have the energy to retort so he nods and heads over to the medicine cabinet. He takes the pills made for headaches and shakes out two of them. He goes over to the refrigerator and grabs a spare water bottle.

“Hidaka-kun, do you have a headache?” Makoto asks him.

He nods, popping one of the pills in his mouth. He takes a few sips of water and then swallows the pill.

Right after he swallows the first one, he pops the second one into his mouth.


	8. dream II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They’re probably friends.  
> Yeah, that sounds good enough.  
> They enjoy each other’s company, talk about what’s on their minds, and see each other on a weekly basis.  
> He finds her to be fun around and she feels the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello!! this is part two of the two chapter update!! if you haven’t read chapter 7 yet then i highly recommend you!!

Before she even opened her eyes, her senses told her where she was.

The calm sound of waves and faint scent of salt gave it all away.

She’s out at sea and is laying inside of a boat.

She opened her eyes, expecting to be met with a bright blue sky, but is immediately disappointed when she sees a midnight scenery. It’s not like she hates it but she was hoping for something brighter. The stars are out tonight so that makes up for the lack of sun.

She sits up and looks over the boat to see if there’s anything in the water. The water is so dark that if she fell in, it doesn’t feel like she could get out. She sees that her only item in the boat is an oar. She picks it up and places the paddle into the water. The paddle splashes against the surface of the sea.  She starts to row in whatever direction she’s facing. The oar is a bit heavy but it’s nothing that she can’t handle.

As she rows her boat, she feels some sort of uneasiness. It doesn’t feel like she’s moving at all. She can feel her boat moving but every direction looks exactly the same that it messes her up. She groans and brings the oar back into the boat. She lays back down and looks up at the sky. There are more stars than the last time.

Sometimes she wonders what it’d be like to hold a star. 

Would it hurt? Would it be hot? What would it look like up close?

The questions are endless.

_ “A sTar Is a StAR. NoThinG moRe. NoThinG leSS.”  _ is probably something Natsume would say.

_ “It’d probably be hot. It’d be cool to throw it into a fireplace or under a kotatsu.”  _ would probably be Ritsu's answer.

She laughs to herself, imagining their answers. 

She wonders what type of answer he would give?

_ “What would it feel like to hold a star? That depends. What kind of star is it?” _

That’d probably be his answer. He would ask another question and then eventually the conversation would probably be them asking questions back and forth. She laughs to herself again, imagining the conversation.

Recently, he’s been occupying her thoughts. There are things he says that linger with her or even pop up at random times.

_ “No, I think you’re amazing.” _

_ “I was just thinking you have a nice laugh.” _

_ “I like having you here!” _

The thought of those words makes her chest tighten. She places her hand on it, clutching it with little force.

He’s a very nice person. She enjoys his company a lot when he visits the shop. She doesn’t know which day of the week he’ll be coming so it makes her a bit restless. It also makes her excited because it’s like a little surprise.

She really doesn’t think of him as a customer anymore. Of course, if he buys flowers from her then he is indeed a customer but defining him just that doesn’t sit well with her.

They’re probably friends.

Yeah, that sounds good enough.

They enjoy each other’s company, talk about what’s on their minds, and see each other on a weekly basis. He finds her to be fun around and she feels the same.

That’s how friends are.

That’s what they are.

So she shouldn’t feel flustered when he gives her compliments or lonely when he leaves after making a purchase. She shouldn’t be glancing out at the shop’s window to see if today is the day he comes in or not. She should definitely not give him flowers with romantic undertones to them because that’s not what friends do.

Her thoughts interrupted by the sudden shaking of her boat. She sits up and sees that the waves are starting to get violent. She grabs the oar and starts to row.

A strong gust of wind flies towards her and gets into her eyes. Her hands slip and the oar falls into the water. She attempts to grab it but all she gets is a fistful of water that escapes from her hands. She looks up to see the condition of the weather and is greeted by a shower of rain. She hears the sound of thunder boom from far away and her breath hitches. Her hands are clutching the sides of the boat, hanging on for dear life.

The waves shake the boat even more violently than before. Some water gets inside the boat but that doesn’t matter to her. All that matters right now is surviving this storm.

As each second goes by, it feels like the waves are somehow getting more violent and dangerous. Her fingers feel like they’re going to fall off from how hard she’s gripping on the boat.

Thunder booms again and she yelps, letting go of the boat for a split second. As if the sea had a mind of its own, a huge wave approaches her and the boat.

She screams and is completely submerged in water.

* * *

Anzu sits up quickly, hyperventilating. She puts a hand to her throat to see if she’s still breathing. She can feel small tears forming at the corners of her eyes and wipes them away.

“It was just a dream. It wasn’t real.” She whispers to herself to calm down. She repeats those words a few times before she relaxes and flops back down onto her bed. 

Even though it was a dream, it felt too realistic. Her movements, surroundings, and feelings. Everything felt so real.

Anzu brings her hand up to her throat again.

Yep, she’s still alive and breathing.

She lets out a sigh of relief and stares up at her ceiling. She tries to call back some parts of her dream. Ignoring the whole storm section, the part before it was...embarrassing.

Of course, they’re friends. Why was she agonizing about it so much?

She likes being friends with Hokuto.

She likes talking to him.

She likes it when he visits the shop.

She likes the relationship they have.

Anzu stares up at the ceiling for a few more minutes. Her face feels extremely hot. She brings her hands up to her cheeks to feel their warmth. She gets out of bed quickly and walks to the bathroom. She turns on the sink, filling her hands with water and splashes it onto her face. 

**Author's Note:**

> may i present to you a pining hokuto in these trying times?


End file.
